How to Make Donuts

Want a quick breakfast without leaving your pajamas? Here are some top tips on making your own donuts, including a cheater's guide.

By
TBSP Angela

Missing something sweet from your midnight feast?

Or want a quick breakfast without leaving your pajamas? Here are some top tips on making your own donuts, including a cheater's guide.

Making donuts at home can be a tricky and messy business. The two important things to remember are the temperature of your oil and the thickness of your donuts. You aren't going to get the Krispy Kreme effect, but these donuts look and taste great.

To get a primo dough, you need to whisk your sugar and eggs together for a while until they are pale and fluffy. Then add the other wet ingredients like yogurt, vanilla and a small amount of melted butter. Mix together all your dry ingredients in a different bowl—stuff like the flour, baking powder and salt. After that, throw both wet and dry together and mix until just combined. Don't overmix the batter or your donuts will turn out tough.

This Rainbow Donuts recipe gives a great base with ingredients and how to mix them. Plus, it’s Rainbow Donuts! What’s not to love?

Oil It Up

Heat your oil as you move to the next step. Two pints of vegetable oil is good, and of course using a fat fryer will make things simpler and safer. But you can just as easily use a heavy bottomed saucepan—make sure the oil doesn't come above halfway up the side of the pan. The temperature we’re looking for is somewhere around the 350°F mark.

Get Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Roll out some of your dough to a thickness of about 1/5 of an inch—dust your countertop and hands with flour to stop the dough from sticking. Cut out rounds of dough using pastry cutters, and use a smaller cutter for the centers. You can also use things like shot glasses and the bottom of drink bottles if you don't have small cookie cutters.

Do this step in small stages: Use the leftovers from one lot of cut-out dough to combine with some new dough and start the process again. Keep going until it's all used.

Nearly There

Test that your oil is ready by throwing in a small scrap of dough. If it sizzles, it's ready. Put in one of your donuts and fry it for around one minute, or until golden, then flip it over to cook the other side. The second side will take a little less time so keep an eye on the color. When each one is done, put it on some kitchen paper to drain.

You can coat your delicious donuts while they are still warm. Sprinkle powdered sugar over them, or put a cup full of sugar into a paper bag, throw in a donut, and shake until coated. You can also coat your donuts with superfine sugar, cinnamon, cocoa or even a pinch of Cayenne pepper for some donuts with a kick.

Want to know how to make donuts an even easier way? For a super-easy cheat's way, you can use a pre-made biscuit dough like Pillsbury Biscuits or Grands! Refrigerated Biscuits and simply slice it up, then follow the same method.